ALL: Opening Acts

Surviving L.A.

An L.A. Times feature gathers opinions on a bleak trend that has claimed the lives of PnB Rock, Pop Smoke, Nipsey Hussle, and many others.

Mach-Hommy Speaks

New Jersey rapper Mach-Hommy recently gave a rare interview with Rolling Stone.

Ye’s White Lives

Kanye West’s alt-right stunts at Paris Fashion Week have drawn self-righteous condemnation from the fashion world and beyond.

Fake News on O-Block

In a story jointly published by the Chicago Reader and The Triibe, coverage of developments at Chicago’s O-Block is scrutinized.

Coolio’s Sound Master Crew

Contrary to reports, L.A, rapper Coolio’s career began in the mid-80s, when he floated through several short-lived electro-rap ensembles.

P4K’s 250 Best Songs of the 90s

Pitchfork’s latest retrospective list, a ranking of the top 250 best songs of the 1990s, embraces a girlboss theme. The top five slots belong to women.

Jean Grae and Hip-Hop Heresies

In light of Jean Grae’s identification as nonbinary, Shanté Paradigm Smalls’ Hip-Hop Heresies, a book about queer identity in hip-hop culture, is enlightening.

Fake Musicians and The Source

ProPublica’s story about internet clout chases contains a detail about The Source magazine, a famed example of golden-era rap journalism.

Sammus on AI

With controversy surrounding “augmented reality” act FN Meka, it’s worth reading Enongo Lumumba-Kasongo’s story on AI in the rap industry.

Hua Hsu on Suspended in Time

Hua Hsu, a staff writer for The New Yorker, discusses his new zine Suspended in Time, which also serves as a preface for his forthcoming book, Stay True.

Cadence Weapon, Teen P4K Critic

In a long-ish essay published in The Walrus, Cadence Weapon recounts his time penning reviews as an enterprising Edmonton teenager.